Nintendo Switch: Good news for console owners, but bad news as games get MORE EXPENSIVE?

Nintendo Switch: Good news for console owners, but bad news as games get MORE EXPENSIVE?

Nintendo has made a few announcements this week off the back of its early 2018 earnings call.

First up, the company has explained that it expects the Nintendo Switch's lifespan to outlive that of traditional generations.

According to Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima, the goal for the developer and publisher is to support Switch over a 5-6 year period, which is the traditional run for game consoles.

Nintendo hasn't outlined any specifics on how it plans to support its new console for this long, but projects like Nintendo Labo are likely a big part of how the company plans to keep the console relevant.

This is good news for anyone that's already invested in the machine - though we're likely to see Nintendo take a similar approach with the Switch that we saw them take with the 3DS (releasing many different models over the console's lifespan), the company is unlikely to drop support for the base launch model.

Therefore, we can expect early adopters of the Switch to benefit from the lengthy lifespan for almost a decade to come.

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Secondly, the developer/publisher has outlined its plans to finally release its online service for the Nintendo Switch.

The paid multiplayer gaming service - simply called Nintendo Switch Online - is set to launch in September 2018.

Nintendo stated that its new service will let players enjoy online gaming, and it will launch with a dedicated smartphone app that connects to your Switch system and helps you connect with friends or find sessions they're playing in relevant games (similarly to PSN and its mobile functionality).

The downside for consumers is that this could make your games cost even more: if you need to buy a subscription on top of the base game price if you want to play online, you'll have to shell out more money per month just to get access to the standard functionality.

This sees Nintendo joining the ranks of Sony and Microsoft in offering a paid online service, whilst PC remains the only platform offering triple-A gaming online for free.

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Nintendo Switch Online - What is it?

As an example of the service, Nintendo announced Splatoon 2, the colorful multiplayer shooter game, will be the first game to receive support for Switch Online.

The new service will give you access to SplatNet2, where you can see online battle stats, your gear, and more.

An iOS or Google Play app will let you send invites via social networks and messaging service to invite friends to play with you.

You will also get to download some classic Nintendo titles as part of your subscription.

Nintendo Switch Online - How Much Will it Cost?

Nintendo said it will charge $4 a month for a one-month membership, $8 for a three-month membership, or $20 for a 12-month membership.

European or UK prices have yet to be confirmed.

The online gameplay service will be free until the paid service launches at some point 2018.